Meyer Lansky — "the mob's accountant" with roots in the Russian Empire
Meyer Lansky (born Maier Suchowljansky) was an American organised crime figure born in Grodno (Russian Empire, now Belarus) who became known as the Mob's Accountant — the financial brains behind the National Crime Syndicate. His investment of criminal profits into legitimate casinos, hotels, and businesses helped legitimise and sustain the American mob empire for decades.
Tracing the roots — Grodno (Belarus)
Born in Grodno in 1902 and arriving on the Lower East Side as a child, Lansky and his childhood friend Bugsy Siegel built a criminal empire that spanned the entire United States. His Grodno origins, his Jewish immigrant poverty, and his genius for money gave American organised crime its financial architecture.
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Grodno (Belarus). At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.